68 The CEO’s Constant Companion
Elara kept her gaze fixed on the contract as Jonathan continued praising Vivienne’s research accomplishments. Each word felt like a needle piercing her professional dignity, but she refused to show any reaction. Years of marriage to Damien had taught her how to wear a mask of indifference.
“Your multilingual recognition algorithms would complement our security systems perfectly, Jonathan gushed, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.
Julian shot Elara a concerned glance. He knew this was her specialty–the very foundation of YodaVision’s competitive edge.
“Perhaps we should finish reviewing the implementation timeline,” Elara suggested smoothly, redirecting the conversation. “We still need to discuss the transition phases.”
Henry nodded gratefully. “Yes, let’s get back to the-
The conference room door swung open without warning. Damien Thorne stepped in, commanding attention instantly. His tailored charcoal suit emphasized his broad shoulders, and his confident stride carried him directly to the head of the table.
is eyes swept
“Julian,” he acknowledged with a brief nod before over the rest of the room, pausing only a fraction of a second on Elara.
“Darling,” Vivienne purred, rising from her seat. “We were just discussing the
YodaVision contract.
Damien’s expression softened as he turned to her. “I need to steal you away for lunch. We have that meeting with the Swiss investors at two.”
Elara’s chest tightened. The casual intimacy between them was unmistakable. This wasn’t just a fling or temporary fascination–Vivienne had clearly integrated herself into every aspect of Damien’s life, even his business affairs.
“I was just telling Vivienne how valuable her input would be on our security division,” Jonathan added eagerly.
Damien placed his hand on Vivienne’s lower back. “She’s been instrumental in several projects already.”
68 The CEO’s Constant Companion
Elara focused on keeping her breathing steady. The slight emphasis on “already” didn’t escape her notice. It was as if he was making a point that Vivienne belonged here–had been here–while Elara remained an outsider.
“We won’t keep you, Julian interjected smoothly. “We’re nearly finished here.”
“Good,” Damien replied, barely glancing at the documents spread across the table. “Jonathan, make sure everything’s in order before you send it up to legal.”
“Of course, sir.”
With a parting nod to Julian–and nothing for Elara–Damien guided Vivienne toward the door. Elara caught a glimpse of his hand sliding from Vivienne’s back to her waist as they exited, a possessive, intimate gesture he had rarely shown Elara, even during their early marriage.
The door closed behind them, leaving a heavy silence in the room.
“Well,” Henry said, shuffling papers awkwardly, “shall we continue?”
The rest of the meeting dragged on interminably. Elara maintained her professional demeanor, addressing each point with precision and clarity despite the churning in her stomach. She refused to let her personal distress affect this critical business opportunity.
By three o’clock, they had finalized all implementation details. Jonathan collected the documents with a satisfied smile.
“I’ll take these up to Mr. Thorne for final approval,” he announced. “It shouldn’t take long.”
As Jonathan left, Henry turned to Julian with barely contained excitement. “Your Al’s contextual learning capabilities are remarkable. The demo you showed last week blew our engineering team away.”
“That’s all Elara’s work, Julian replied, giving her due credit. “She’s the genius behind our language processing technology.”
Henry looked genuinely impressed. “That explains why it’s so intuitive. Most language engines feel mechanical, but yours has an almost human quality to its responses.”
Elara was about to respond when the door opened again. This time, it was just Jonathan, returning with signed documents.
21:17
2/4
68 The CEO’s Constant Companion
“All approved,” he announced triumphantly. “Mr. Thorne was pleased with the terms.
“Excellent,” Julian replied, rising to shake his hand. “We look forward to working with InnovaTech.”
As they gathered their materials to leave, Henry leaned toward Julian. “Ms. Dubois has been with Mr. Thorne all day. They make quite the power couple, don’t they?”
Elara pretended not to hear, but Henry’s voice carried clearly.
“She’s been here nearly every day this month. The rumor mill says she’ll be taking over our Al division soon. They’re practically inseparable.”
Julian’s reply was noncommittal, but Elara felt a fresh wave of hurt wash over her. Every day. Not just occasional appearances or lunch dates–Vivienne had effectively moved into Damien’s professional world, claiming territory that Elara had never been allowed to enter.
“Thank you both for your time, Elara said, extending her hand to Henry. Her voice remained steady despite the knot in her throat.
They made their way to the reception area, Julian carrying their shared portfolio. “Are you okay?” he whispered as they waited for the elevator.
“I’m fine, Elara replied automatically, the practiced response of seven years.
Julian looked skeptical but didn’t press. The elevator arrived with a soft chime, and they stepped forward–only to freeze at the sight of the elevator’s occupants.
Damien stood there, his arm casually draped around Vivienne’s shoulders. Their conversation halted mid–sentence as they registered Elara and Julian waiting to enter.
“Going down?” Damien asked, his tone neutral as if addressing complete strangers.
Elara’s heart hammered against her ribs. She’d spent the entire day steeling herself against exactly this scenario–being forced into close quarters with Damien and Vivienne together. Now, trapped in this moment, she felt every carefully constructed defense begin to crumble.
Vivienne’s perfect red lips curved into a smile that never reached her eyes. “Why don’t you join us? There’s plenty of room.”
21:17
3/4
